Standing in front of the recently opened Morrisville Food Co-op, Todd
Thomas gestured to the busy
municipal parking lot across
Pleasant Street. Just a few
years ago, he said, vacant spots
almost always outnumbered
cars. “There were seven empty
buildings down here,” he said.

“You’d drive through and think
this was a struggling town.”
Morrisville is the village center
of Morristown, for which
Thomas is zoning administrator
and planning director. Zoning
changes and a streamlined
building permit process helped
start a successful turnaround.

The new co-op grocery, known
as MoCo, will provide yet
another draw. Located a block
off the main thoroughfare,
it represents renewed energy
radiating out from the village
core. The member-owned store